Turbine



Jan. 29., 1924.

J H. FELTHOUSEN TURBINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1917 M 8 mm: M501 Jan. 29 1924.

J. H. FELTHOUS'EN TURBINE 4. Sheets-=Sheet 2 Filed July 25 1917 SJ vwc ntoz aiwgazjiliihwwaz I 1,4822 Jan- J. H. FELTHOUSEN TURBINE Filed July 25 9 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 29, 1924. l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

TURBINE.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,793.

To all whom it may concern:v An embodiment of the invention is dis- Be it known that I, Jenn H. FnL'rHoUsEN, closed in the accompanying drawings and a citizen of the United States, residing at will be hereinafter particularly described York, in the county of York and State of solely for the purpose of demonstration of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useone practical organization involving the inful Improvements in Turbines, of which the vent'ive features and which will produce the following is a specification. result sought.

This invention relates to turbines, and In the drawings particularly to means for modifying thewa- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section,

10 ter head on turbines, and the main objects through parts, of a turbine embodying the of the invention are to augment the suction features of the invention, portions of the directly in the "ordinary form of draft tube turbine being broken away. or water discharge means to such a degree Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken in as to materially increase a given-water head the plane of the line 2-2, Figure 1, through 15 on a turbine and correspondingly increase the draft tube ring. p the speed and power of the turbine, and also Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of. the to so regulate the suction or' water pull in draft tube ring. the draft tube or discharge means relatively Figure 4 is a top plan view'of one form to the water head as tov render the turbine of valve means to cooperate with the draft 20 power generating means easily controllable tube ring. V to compensate for or obviate the disadvan- Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 tages incident to diminution of speed or showing a modification. power due to fall or loss of head during Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 2 high water, or, from any other cause. The and 5 showing a further modification.

25 increased suction in the draft tube or dis Figure 7 is a top planview of the draft charge means is eflected by admitting water tube ring showing a still further modificathereinto from the exterior of the tube or tion. discharge means in regulable quantities at The numeral 5 designates the shaft, 6 the the most advantageous point, the water be runner, and 7 the gates of a turbine, all con- 30 ing supplied from any external source, such structed and arranged as well known and as a pen stock, or it may be piped. to the forming no-part of the present invention. point of infection or inlet into the draft tube The turbine also has the usual enclosure or discharge means without detracting from members or castings and includes a draft p the structural contour andefiiciency of the tube ring 8 with a lower flange 9 suitably se- 35 usual form of draft tube or water discharge cured to the flange 10 of the draft tube 11 or outlet means, or in any manner modifying mounted as shown. 7 the installation of turbine organizations as The water inlet for the draft tube or delivmade and used at the present time, ery means as illustrated in the drawings is Heretofore, means have been provided for located in the draft tube ring 8 and is in the 40 increasing the suction and pull in draft tube form of a space 12 open at the outer and or delivery outlets of turbines to increase inner terminals or extends'entirely through the head, but generally such, means have rethe wall of said ring. This inlet or space 12 quired separate or supplementary tubes to inclines downwardly and inwardly from the create a water flow parallel with or at an outer to the inner side of the ring 8 and is 45 angle to or across the flow direct from the transversely divided at intervals by ribs or turbine draft tube, and in some cases such partitions 13 which maybe radial as shown arrangements have required internal workby Figure 2, or inclined either forwardly or ing valve means which, of course, is objecrearwardly and either straight or curved, as tiona-ble in a draft tube, while the present shown by Figures 6 and 7. These ribs or 50 invention does not require supplemental partitions 13 are rounded at their outer and tubesor internal working valves, but simply inner ends and taper towards their inner consists of an ordinary draft tube from the ends, the ends of the ribs or partitions bein wheel, fitted with external means of supslightly inside of the planes of the outer and plying water flow to the inside of the draft inner surfaces of the wall of the ring 8 to tube for the purpose referred to above. provide a practical clearance and to avoid I the least obstructions to the free inlet and outlet of the water supplied to the inlet.

This water inlet may be placed at any point.

draft tube therethrough to take the direction of the Water-discharged from the runner to avoid interfering with said discharge Water and also to more effectively act through the latter to increase the suction in the draft tube and the head on the turbine. It is known that, under some conditions of (11S- charge from the runner, the water revolves in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the runner and, under other conditions, this discharge water follows'the runner or moves in the same direction as the said runner, and the modifications in position of the ribs or partitions 18 as shown by Figures 5 and 6 are intended to render the improvements efficient under all conditions of movement of the discharge water.

Valve means to regulate and control the admission of the Water through the inlet 12 is rovided, and one form is shown as a sliding cylinder gate 14.- closely engaging the outer side of the draft tube ring 8 and having adjusting rods 15 operable at any point above or distant from the turbine by suitable mechanical devices to shift the cylinder .to uncover more or less of the inlet 12 as may j be desired, or, to entirely cut off the supply of water through the inlet. This valve means may be of any form located and operable exteriorly of the draft tube ring and draft tube to regulate the extraneous supply of water to the draft tube without in the least interfering with the function of said tubeand preferably without requiring a special construction of the tube to adapt the improvements thereto. As shown by Figure 7, the water may be supplied by a pipe 16 closely'fitted around the draft tube ring in the outer terminal of the inlet 12 and having outlets 17 to permit the free flow of the water into the said inlet. The pipe 16 may connect with a source of supply at any distance from the turbine and is provided with valve means 18 to regulate the flow ofwater therethrough to the inlet. This modification illustrates the practicability of the invention with a pipe or conduit confined water supply and a different valve means, and is intended to show that the invention is not confined to precise structural-features to accomplish the function sought. 7

The efficiency of the present invention is due largely to the manner of admitting, the water into the draft tube or discharge means beyond the runner and to provide said water-admission means or inlet with controlling valve means wholly located and operable exteriorly of the draft tube or dischargeconduit and thereby avoid the necessity of specially constructing the draft tube or discharge conduit or interfering with the interior thereof to adapt the invention thereto. Hence, a draft tube or discharge conduit of usual construction may be used with theinven tion applied thereto with material advantages in the construction and cost of installation of turbine organizations.

The improved construction herein dis-- closed and comprising the inlet 12, which serves as a head increaser under certain operative conditions hereinbefore specified,

is continually open from its" inner to its outer terminations, and by locating the valve means exteriorly of the inlet, orto operate the said valve outside instead of interiorly at the inner termination of the inlet adjacent to the point where the latter communicreaser structures where the valve or closure means for the lnlet is located at the inner termination or adjacent to the point of comhas a further advantage in that the said inlet munication of the inlet with the draft tube.

Moreover, by locating the valve means exteriorly of the inlet, the pressure of water is against the outer side of the valve means where the ring valve or cylinder is used when the latter is closed. Moreover, the ring valve or cylinder when closed is braced against the outer draft tube ring or turbine structure and leakage of water through the closedv valve is less liable to' occur and entrance of water into the inlet and draft tube, at times undesirable, is prevented. When the valve is located at the inner termination of an auxiliary inlet, or where the latter opens into the draft tube or interior of the turbine structure, the inlet from the interiorly located valve to the outer terminal ofthe inlet is open for accumulation of water therein, in view of the fact. I that the portion of the turbine having the auxiliary inlet formed therein is continually ment in the inlet and the latter in time, or

depending upon the period of disuse, may become materially clogged and the efficiency thereof as an inlet be greatly impaired. By the structure herein disclosed, this disadvantage, or the accumulation of sediment in the inlet, is obviated and the water that may ward inclination and direction of the walls of the inlet 12. The'inlet may be entirely surrounded by water in free form, or, as shown by Fig. 7, the watermay be confined in a pipe which in a like manner serves as a water supply completely surrounding the outer termination of the inlet.

I claim as my invention 1. A turbine having a runner, means for admitting a motive fluid to the runner, a single draft tube, inlet means associated with the draft tube and havin inwardly inclined passa es in a portion t ereof for the admission of a supplemental fluid into the draft tube in the direction of flow of the motive'fluid from the runner through said tube to increase the auction in the latter and the head on the runner, and valve means located and operable exteriorly of the inlet and having a ring fixed thereto and pro vided with an inlet passage therethrough to means to regulate admission of the supplemental fluid.

2. A turbine having a runner, means for admitting a motive fluid to the runner, a

single draft tube, inlet means comprising a ring associated with the draft tube and provided with a sup lemental fluid su pl means to increase t e suction in the ra t tube and the head on the runner, and valve means shiftably mounted on the exterior of i said ring to control the Said supplemental fluid supply.

3. A turbine having a runner, means for admitting a .motive fluid to the runner, a single draft tube ssociated with the runner admit a supplemental fluid into the tube beyond the runner to increase the suction in the tube and the head of the motive fluid on the runner, and a cylindrical valve gate surrounding the exterior of the rino over the inlet of the passage and provided with means for shifting. the same to open and close the said passage.

4. The combination with a single draft tube, of a ring secured to the inlet end of the tube and having an inlet passage therethrough around the same, and valve means shiftably mounted on and cooperating with tlxe outer side of said ring and outer terminal of the inlet passage.

5. A hydraulic turbine comprlsing a runner, means for controlling supply of water to the runner, a, draft-tube into which the runnerdischarges having an auxiliar water inlet communicating therewith elow the runner, the inlet being surrounded at the exterior portion thereof by water supply, and valve means located exteriorly of the inlet and operable to regulate the flow of' water into and through the inlet, the inlet being free of water when the valve means is closed.

6. A hydraulic turbine comprising a runner, means for controlling supply of water to the runner, a draft-tube into which the runner discharges having an auxiliary water'inlet communicating thei ewith below the runner, valve means cooperating with the exterior portion of the inlet to regulate the flow of water into and through the inlet, the inner termination of the inlet being continually open and permitting all water to flow outwardly therefrom when the exterior valve means is closed.

7. A hydraulic turbine comprising a run 8. A hydraulic turbine comprising a runthe lower inner termination to t e outer elevated termination thereof for the admission of auxiliary water to the draft-tube to increase thesuction in the latter and the head on the. runner, and valve means movable closely against the outer termination of said inlet to regulate the flowrof water into said outer termination of and through the said inlet, the inner lower termination of the inlet being continually open to eflect a complete drain of the inlet when the valve means is closed against the outer termination of the inlet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. FELTHOUSEN. Witnesses:

CHAs'. S. HYER, Amen DUFFY.

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